1

Syllabus
Networked Organizations and Communication
Draft version
19/10/2016
--- changes and additions possible!

Course Information
Title:
Lecturers:

Networked Organizations and Communication (NOC)

Dr. Adina Nerghes

Coordinator:
Contact details:

Dr. Adina Nerghes

adina.nerghes@vu.nl

CONTACT HOUR

By appointment only (via email)

Code:
Program:
Study credits:
Course language:
Period:
Dates:
Requirements:

S_NOC
BCO, Master's program
6 ECTS
English
2
Tuesday November 01 to Thursday December 22, 2016
Master's students in BCO: open for SBI students; open for exchange students

Literature:

Readings are available through the databases of the University Library. See
the Literature section for the complete list of readings.

Form of tuition:

Lectures, method workshop, and peer-feedback sessions

Assessment:

Individual essay
Group assignment / group report
Presentation of the group report
Reflection assignment
Participation in peer-feedback sessions/groups

Introduction
Networked and virtual organizations are increasingly important phenomena in society. On the basis of
recent network literature, the seminar Networked Organizations and Communication focuses on
network theory and analysis within the organization sciences from the perspective of networks and
communication.
The seminar gives insights into theoretical (how do networked organizations affect organization and
network theories), methodological (how to study social networks) and practical aspects (what does
networking and virtualization mean for organization sciences).
The main course goals are to learn to apply theories of networked organization and communication
within organization sciences, to conduct research into social networks, to present the results of
research in an academic way and to develop critical, reflexive attitudes to literature on networks and
organizations. During the course Networked Organizations and Communication the focus will be on a
specific methodological approach, namely social network analysis.
The seminar begins with a general introduction to network theory on Tuesday November 1st and ends
with presentations of the group assignments on Tuesday December 20 and a reflection assignment
that will be handed in on Thursday December 22. Each week focuses on a specific theme around
networks, organizations and communication. Attendance to the lectures, working groups, workshops,
and peer-feedback sessions/groups is mandatory.
During the course, students work on three types of assignments: individual essay, a group assignment
and reflection assignment. Students are also expected to be active participants in peer-feedback
sessions and groups.

Study Goals
The aim of the course is to learn how to:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Interpret and compare theories on networks, communication networks, and networked

organizations, and apply the theories into practice of network research;
Independently carry out a literature review as well as conduct research in groups applying new
methods and critically evaluate the practical applicability of the research results;
Critically approach and evaluate (social) scientific literature in the field of (communication)
networks and organizations, and the theoretical perspectives embedded in the literature;
Gain advanced skills in written and oral presentation of research results.

Position in the BCO-Program

The seminar is intended for Masters students of the Masters program Beleid, Communicatie en
Organisatie (BCO). The course is also open for Science, Business and Innovation (SBI) students and
exchange students in Dutch universities. The course language is English.
The Masters program BCO is in social sciences, in the field of organization sciences and the methods
for organization research. The Master's program approaches policy-, communication and
organizational questions from different social scientific perspectives. Students will learn several social
scientific perspectives and theories about the functioning of organizations in social contexts,
organizational behavior, strategy formation in organizations, social networks and communication, and
to apply the knowledge to research into different types of organizations, such as firms, government,
(semi-)public organizations, health care and educational organizations and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), and social movements.

Study Credits

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The 6ECTS seminar corresponds to 168 hours of study. The contact hours (lectures, working groups,
method workshops) and self-study hours are specified in the table below.
Contact
hours
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8

7
7
7
7
7
7
5
5
60

Selfstudy

Total
13
13
15
15
15
15
15
15
108

20
20
22
22
22
22
20
20
168

Forms of Tuition and Assessment

During the course students develop a critical and reflexive attitude towards (social) scientific literature,
improve their written and oral presentation skills, and their skills of giving and receiving constructive
feedback. These goals will be examined in the form of individual essays (assignment 1), a group
report to be presented both as a written report (assignment 2) and as an oral presentation at the end
of the course (assignment 3), and an individual reflection on the group report (assignment 4). Students
will also be involved in peer-feedback groups and sessions. These groups will be formed by the
instructor and student presence during feedback sessions is mandatory.
Assignment instructions can be found in this syllabus, after Course Schedule and Literature. Also,
instructions for the software needed for the group assignment can be found at the end of this Syllabus.
The evaluation forms for the assignments can be found in the appendices.
To successfully complete this course, the minimum grade for each assignment must be 5.5 or higher.
Each assignment is designed to coincide with key points in the course and should always be
submitted on time; late assignments will not be graded. Each assignment should be handed in on
the date of the deadline, no later than 18:00.

1)
2)
3)
4)

Individual assignment (essay):

Group assignment (written report):
Group assignment (oral presentation):
Individual reflection on the group report (written report)

40%
30%
10%
20%

Communications
The best way to ask questions about the course is on Discussion Forum on Blackboard. There are
very few questions that are of interest to only you, so please share. I will respond to inquiries posted to
the Discussion Board within 48 hours (often considerably less).
Grading will be managed through Blackboard. Your grades are private. You do not have to discuss
them with other students and should not feel pressured to do so.
Slides and supplementary information will also be posted on Blackboard. Students are expected to
check their university email account regularly, as well as Blackboard.
Contacting the instructor: You may also contact me via email for matters that are private or may not
be of interest to the class. If a question or issue is too complicated for emails, we can a schedule
Skype session or office hours.
Assignments inquiries: The best time to ask questions about assignments is the week before they
are due during class time. I cannot guarantee answers via any contact medium at the last minute
(within 24 hours of the due date).

Course Schedule
The course begins on Tuesday November 1 and ends on Tuesday December 22. Each week focuses
on a specific theme around "networks and organizations". There are two meetings each week.

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION: NETWORK THEORY AND ORGANIZATIONS

time
topic
Literature/assignments
Lecture 1

Lecture 2

Tuesday 01/11

Course information

15:30-18:15
WN F647

Introduction to
Borgatti & Foster, 2003
network theory in
Kilduff & Brass, 2010
organization sciences

Thursday 03/11

Instructions
Assignment 1

15:30-18:15
HG 11A33

Syllabus

Wellman et al. 2014

Networked
Organizations

WEEK 2: INTERORGANIZATIONAL (SOCIAL) NETWORKS

time
Topic

Literature/assignments

Lecture 3

Powell et al 2004

Tuesday 08/11

Interorganizational
networks

15:30-18:15
WN F647

Porac, Thomas, Wilson,

Paton, & Kanfer, 1994.
Kilduff & Krackhardt (1994)

Lecture 4

Thursday 10/11

Social networks and

organizations

15:30-18:15
HG 11A33

Ibarra, Kilduff & Tsai

(2005)
Optional:
Casciaro (1998)

WEEK 3: NETWORKS AND DATA

time
Lecture 5

Tuesday 15/11

topic

Communication
Monge, Heiss & Margolin,
networks & big data 2008

15:30-18:15
WN F647

Lecture 6

Thursday 17/11
15:30-18:15
HG 11A33

Literature/assignments

Kirilenko & Stepchenkova

2014
Instructions
Assignment 2 (group
project)
Data and networks

Borgatti, Everett, &

Johnson (2013) Chapter 4

WEEK 4: NETWORK ANALYSIS WORKSHOP

time
topic
Lecture 7
Tuesday 22/11

Social network
analysis

15:30-18:15
WN F647

Literature/assignments
Borgatti, Everett, &
Johnson (2013) Chapter
2,3 & 10
Optional: Freeman (1977).
Deadline Assignment 1:
Outline to be sent to
instructor and feedback
peers before 18:00 via
email

Feedback Session
(Individual
Assignment)

Thursday 24/11
15:30-18:15
HG 11A33

Feedback Session for

individual assignments

WEEK 5: RESEARCH PROJECT (GROUPS)

time
topic

Literature/assignments

Method Workshop

Tuesday 29/11

ORA User's Guide 2013

Feedback Session
(Group assignment)

Thursday 01/12

Network analysis &

network
15:30-18:15
visualizations
HG-1G-28 OR HG-1G- workshop in ORA
23
Feedback Session for
group assignment

15:30-18:15
WN - M623

WEEK 6: RESEARCH PROJECT (GROUPS)

time
topic
Working in groups

Tuesday 06/12

Group assignment

15:30-18:15
WN F647
Working in groups

Thursday 08/12

Literature/assignments
Deadline Assignment 1:
(essay) final version to be
uploaded via Blackboard
before 18:00

Group assignment

15:30-18:15
HG 11A33

WEEK 7: RESEARCH PROJECT (GROUPS)

Time
topic
Working in groups

Tuesday 13/12
15:30-18:15

Group assignment

Literature/assignments

7
WN F647
End presentations,
group report

Thursday 15/12
15:30-18:15
HG 11A33

Instructions
Assignment 4
(reflection)

Deadline Assignment 3:
each group will present
their group project.

End presentations per

group

WEEK 8: END PRESENTATIONS AND REFLECTION

Working in groups

time

topic

Literature/assignments

Tuesday 20/12

Group assignment

Deadline Assignment 2:
Group reports to be
submitted via Blackboard
before 18:00

Reflection assignment

Deadline Assignment 4:
Reflections on group
project to be submitted via
Blackboard before 18:00

15:30-18:15
WN F647
Group report
Thursday 22/12
15:30-18:15
HG 11A33

Literature
General:
Chapters of the following book will be assigned as readings for various lectures.
Borgatti, S.P., Everett, M.G. and Johnson, J.C. Analyzing Social Networks. London: Sage, 2013.
The book is available in the VU library: HG 2e etage : [Stack request] SA.15054.- or at
http://www.ebooks.com/1474838/analyzing-social-networks/borgatti-stephen-p-everett-martin-gjohnson-jeffre/
Please request the book from the VU library (HG 2e etage: [Stack request] SA.15054.-) and make
copies of the relevant chapters. Whenever possible the instructors will bring a copy of the book during
the lectures, which you can borrow and copy.
Aletrnative (Optional):
Hanneman, R.A., & Riddle, M., Introduction to social network methods:
http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~hanneman/nettext/
Lecture 1: Tuesday November 1
Borgatti, S., & Foster, P. 2003. The Network Paradigm in Organizational Research: A Review and
Typology. Journal of Management, 29(6), 9911013. doi:10.1016/S0149-2063
Kilduff, M., & Brass, D. J. 2010. Organizational social network research: Core ideas and key debates.
Academy of Management Annals, 4(1): 317-357.
Lecture 2: Thursday November 3

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Wellman, B., Dimitrova, D., Hayat, Z, Mo, Y. G. & Smale, L. (2014) Networking scholars in a
networked organization, Contemporary Perspectives in Organizational Social Networks. Research in
the Sociology of Organizations 40: 479-497.
Lecture 3: Tuesday November 8
Powell, W.W. White, D. G., Koput, K. W. & Owen-Smth, J. (2005) Network Dynamics and Field
Evolution: The Growth of Inter-organizational Collaboration in the Life Sciences. American Journal of
Sociology
Porac, J.F., Thomas,H., Wilson, F.,. Paton, D. & Kanfer, A. (1994). Rivalry and the industry model of
Scottish knitwear producers. Adminstrative Science Quarterly, 203-227.
Lecture 4: Thursday November 10
Kilduff, M., & Krackhardt, D. (1994). Bringing the Individual Back in: a Structural Analysis of the
Internal Market for Reputation in Organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 37(1), 87108.
http://doi.org/10.2307/256771
Ibarra, H., Kilduff, M., & Tsai, W. (2005). Zooming In and Out: Connecting Individuals and Collectivities
at the Frontiers of Organizational Network Research. Organization Science, 16(4), 359371.
http://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0129
Optional:
Casciaro, T. (1998). Seeing things clearly: social structure, personality, and accuracy in social network
perception. Social Networks, 20(4), 331351. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8733(98)00008-2
Lecture 5: Tuesday November 15
Monge, P., Heiss, B.M. & Margolin, D. B. (2008). Communication network evolution in organizational
communities, Communication Theory 18: 449-477.
Kirilenko, A. P. & Stepchenkova, S. O. (2014) Public microblogging on climate change: One year of
Twitter worldwide, Global Environmental Change 26: 171-182.

Lecture 6: Thursday November 17

Chapter 4 Borgatti, Everett & Johnson 2013
Lecture 7: Tuesday November 22
Chapters 2, 3 & 10 Borgatti, Everett & Johnson 2013
Further readings (optional):
Freeman, L. (1977). A Set of Measures of Centrality Based on Betweenness. Sociometry, 40(1), 35
41.
Lecture 8: Tuesday November 29 (Network analysis & network visualizations workshop)
Carley, K. M.,Pfeffer, J.,Reminga, J.,Storrick, J., & Columbus, D. (2013). ORA User's Guide 2013.
CarnegieMellon University, School of Computer Science, Institute for Software Research, Technical
Report, CMU-ISR-13-108

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
General
- Always make sure to clearly state your name, student number, date and assignment
number on the first page of each assignment you submit;

- All assignments should be carefully checked for spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Written assignments whose English (spelling and grammar) are not sufficient will not be
considered and will be regarded as Unsatisfactory.
- Deadlines are strict; it is not possible to compensate for work submitted after the deadline.
Also, there is no resit for work submitted after the deadline.
- Do not quote too much; it is better to paraphrase. You should describe the arguments of the
author in your own words and make sure the arguments you cite fit logically into your own
argument.
Plagiarism
The assignments are individual (or paired) and group products. It is not allowed to use work
from other students (or groups). Plagiarism is reported to the Examination Board, which may
decide to expel the student from this course, or from the curriculum.
All assignments must refer carefully to the (scientific) sources used. Copying the ideas and
results of other authors (either word for word, or as a paraphrase) without explicit reference to
the source is considered to be plagiarism. The submission of all assignments will be done via
Blackboard, which facilitates (automatic) checks on plagiarism. Thus, each assignment
submitted for this course will be checked for plagiarism. Please make sure you properly
reference all sources used when writing an assignment.
Assignment 1: Essay (individual)
During the course, students will select a topic of interest, from the area of networked organizations,
and use course literature as well as other literature to write an essay (minimum 5 references). The
essay should contain a clear introduction, argument, and sufficient evidence to support the argument,
and must cite a minimum of 5 (five) academic sources.
The essays should elaborate (referring to appropriate literature) on how network approaches can be
applied to understanding organizations or how these methods may be used to explain processes
within organizations and between organizations.
The research essay must explicitly state a question that you have generated through a review of the
literature on a specific issue. Articulating your own research question is a core skill to be developed.
Using the following links will provide some useful resources on writing academic essays:
http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/strategies-essay-writing
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/writing-essays
Essays should be no longer than 6 A4 pages (excluding references) and should be written in Times
New Roman 12pt. and double-spaced.
This individual assignment will constitute 40% of the final grade and will be developed in two stages:
Stage 1: Students will be expected to submit an outline of their essay by Tuesday
November 22 before 18:00 and they will receive feedback from the instructor as well
as from their peers. A peer-feedback session will be organized on Thursday
November 24 during the lecture.
Stage 2: Students will submit the final version of the essays on Tuesday December
6 before 18:00 via Blackboard.
Note: The final versions should be submitted via Blackboard. Final assignments submitted via email
will not be graded!

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Assignment 2: Research report (group assignment)

Network research in groups: During weeks 4-8, the focus will be on a small research project in groups
of no more than 4-6 students. These groups will be formed in consultation with the instructor and
should (when possible) include both BCO and SBI students. The aim of this group project assignment
will be to apply the concepts and methods presented throughout the course to a `real life topic of
interest.
Each group will be free to select their own topic with attention to the following criteria:
1. The topic should relate to networks and organizations (intra-organization networks OR
inter-organization networks);
2. The topic should be selected based on a realistic data collection plan.
Regarding the data collection, students are encouraged to aim for sample sets that can be collected
easily in a relatively short time. When aiming for social network questionnaires it is sufficient to test the
questionnaire on a non-related group to obtain data, like a group of members of a sports club or
student group. Alternatively, you may apply the questionnaires to a group in an organization where
you have access. Students can also gather network data from secondary sources, such as
newspapers, official documentation on boards of specific organizations, but also articles from research
groups, online databases, etc.
The group assignments report should typically consist of:
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical support for a specific approach
3. Method section in which methods are described and supported by literature
4. Results consisting of two parts
a. Descriptive
b. Analytical
5. A section with results discussion (connection with the literature from the theoretical part)
and limitations
The group projects will be developed in 2 stages:
1. Each group will present their chosen topic and data collection/analysis plan during the lecture
on Thursday December 1 and they will receive feedback from the instructors and their peers.
2. Each group submits the final version of the report of their projects on Tuesday 20
December, before 18:00 via Blackboard.
Note: Group reports should be no longer than 6 A4 pages (excluding references and annexes) and
should be written in Times New Roman (or similar) 12pt., 1.5 or double-spaced.
The group reports will be graded and they will constitute 30% of the final grade.

Assignment 3: Presentations (group project)

Each group will have to give a presentation of their group project:
Presenting the results of the group report: Each group will give a presentation on the results of their
project on Thursday December 15, 2016. The presentations will be max. 10 minutes/group and
should include (at a minimum) the following:
a. Topic or research problem description;
b. Research question(s);
c. Data type, source, and collection method(s);
d. Analysis methods;
e. Results;
f. Discussion:
Scientific and practical relevance of findings;
Reflection on methods employed;
Limitations and directions for further research;
g. Summary of contributions of each group member to the project.

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Students should submit their presentation slides (in pptx or pdf format) via Blackboard by 18:00 by
December 22, 2016 (see Assignment 3).
The presentations will be graded and that will constitute 10% of the final grade.

Assignment 4: Reflection on the group project

Individual reflection of max 500 words in which they discuss the following topics:
Relevance of the original research problem
Applicability of relational and network insights for studying organizations
Applicability of relational and network methods for studying organizations
Quality of the research design
Suggested improvements of the original research design
If applicable: student should reflect on the practical implications of the group project results
(How do the results inform practitioners?);
The deadline for Assignment 4 is Thursday December 22 before 18:00 via Blackboard. This
assignment will make up 20% of the final grade.

Group assignment Software information:

On Tuesday November 29, a social network analysis workshop will be provided. During this
workshop, we will cover the network analytic measures introduced in previous lectures, network
visualizations, as well as other analysis methods necessary for the group projects. It is advisable that
each group brings at least a sample of the data they will analyze in their report. During the workshop,
there will be time for questions and demonstrations aimed at the various group projects. Please make
sure you prepare for the workshop and bring a list of questions and issues regarding data analysis for
your projects.

SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD:
http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/projects/ora/software.php
Further instructions on how to download and install the software will be made available via Blackboard
before the workshop. Students should download and install the above software before the workshop.
Please note that the software is not compatible with Mac OS.
ORA Manual (glance through before the workshop and make sure that you have a digital copy of the
manual with you during the workshop):
Carley, K. M.,Pfeffer, J.,Reminga, J.,Storrick, J., & Columbus, D. (2013). ORA User's Guide 2013.
CarnegieMellon University, School of Computer Science, Institute for Software Research,
Technical Report, CMU-ISR-13-108
Note: Students familiar with other network analytic tools (e.g., UCINET, Gephi) may use them for their
analysis. However, troubleshooting support may not be available.

12

Appendix 1
Evaluation Form Assignment 1: Essays (individual)
Name of student:
Name of evaluator:
Criteria
Essence of the essay
The review is complete (no
missing, important information):
own articles fit into the topic
Content
Use of the literature; connections
between the articles; the essay is
placed in the broader theoretical
context (which field of research
does it belong to?)
Structure
Logical structure (introduction,
main theme, closure), citing and
comparing the articles used; the
essay is divided into sub-themes
Style
Citing literature correctly;
separating own meaning from
arguments used in the literature;
correct use of language; coherent
style; readability and lay-out of the
report
Extra Points
The student is able to critically
reflect on the arguments presented
in the articles from the perspective
of their own research idea
Remarks:
Grade:

Date:

Grade

Remarks

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Appendix 2
Evaluation Form Assignment 2: Group Report
Group number:
Name of evaluator:
Criteria
Introduction and Problem
Setting
The problem setting is linked to the
theme of networked organizations;
introduction gives the motivation for
the report (which topic and why),
the approach (how the topic will be
dealt); the problem setting is clearly
defined, and the scholarly and
social relevance are discussed
Theoretical Background
The report is linked to theoretical
ideas discussed in the articles and
during the lectures; the report builds
upon clearly defined fields of
research, uses key concepts, and
takes a critical approach to the
literature; the argumentation leads to
the methods used for the analysis
Quality of the Analysis
Clear argumentation of choices
made; correct description of the
methods and data collection;
critical reflection on the
weaknesses of the methods used;
results are clearly presented
Discussion and Conclusion
The conclusions are linked back to
the theoretical background (with
literature references) and the
results of the analysis; critical
reflection on the limits of the
research; recommendations for
further research
Style
Citing literature with correct
references; separating own
meaning from arguments used in
the literature; correct use of
language; coherent style;
readability and lay-out of the report
Remarks:
Grade:

Date:

Grade

Remarks

14

Appendix 3
Evaluation Form Assignment 3: Group Presentations
Group number:
Name of evaluator:

Date:

1=poor; 2=not passed; 3=average; 4= good; 5= excellent

1

Structure
* clear and interesting start
* introduction is complete (aims, research question, context)
* clarity of the main point
* closure and conclusions
* clear parts (introduction, main point, closure)
* time management

Content
* defining the concepts
* main and side issues separated
* clear which sources are used
* the message comes through
* presenters seem to know the topic

Communication
* use of voice (articulation, loudness, tempo)
* correct language used
* appearance (concentration, lively, enthusiasm)
* correct use of technical media (powerpoint, flip-over, etc)

Remarks:

Grade:

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Appendix 4
Evaluation form Assignment 4: Reflection
Name of student:
Name of evaluator:
Criteria & Explanation
Observed relevance of the original
research problem
The students reflects on the original
problem statement as presented in
assignment 2
Applicability of relational and network
insights
The student reflects on a more abstract
level of how and why he or she considers
the existing insights from network or
relational perspective to be relevant for
researching empirical problems related to
innovation and entrepreneurship
Uses references to appropriate (additional)
literature
Applicability of relational and network
methods
The student reflects on a more abstract
level on the usefulness and
appropriateness of social network and
relational research methods in relation to
innovation and entrepreneurship
Uses references to appropriate literature
Reflection on original design and
suggested improvements
Includes and overview of observed
strengths and weakness of the original
design based on the experiences from the
pilot study
Includes suggestion on how to improve
upon the original design
Quality of argumentation
A. Content
B. Language
The individual reflection is based on a clear
argumentation that reads well and that
shows insights in the students own learning
process

Remarks:
Grade:

Date:

GRADE

Remarks